Upgrade zebra beacons
Zebra crossing beacons (or, 'Balisha Beacons') can be upgraded using flashing LED lights to increase their visibility to drivers. The LED lights automatically become darker at night, so that vehicle drivers are not dazzled, and any nearby houses are not disturbed.
In direct sunlight, the flashing effect of traditional style beacons can be very difficult to see, however the flashing LED lights should be clearly visible at all times.
Disadvantages
- Not the a traditional style Balisha beacon, which is very familiar to road users
Restrictions
- Highways engineers must check if other roads in the area are suitable to carry extra traffic.
There's also some general restrictions to note for all schemes
Advantages
- Increases visibility of the crossing beacon to vehicle drivers
- Probably the cheapest way to increase the safety of a crossing, compared to other options
- Requires very little maintenance
Effectiveness
This intervention doesn’t have any safety evidence available. Instead, likely outcomes are covered.
In some locations, local people complain that vehicle drivers do not give way to pedestrians waiting at pedestrian crossings. Increasing the visibility of zebra beacons will help drivers to see the crossing, which may mean they are more likely to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the road.
It is important to note that this upgrade may only be useful for vehicle drivers who did not recognise the crossing because:
- the crossing wasn't obvious enough amongst other lamp posts or signs in the street
- they are not paying proper attention to the road, and the flashing beacons helped to alert the driver to a hazard
Other drivers might see a pedestrian waiting at a crossing, and deliberately fail to stop.
A zebra crossing with a raised top (like a speed table) may be more effective at getting motorists to give way to pedestrians.
